When I first read this I thought this sounds really cool. Then a little bit later I wondered how long it will stay open or if it ever will. I'm not from "the falls" so I don't know all the goings on up there. But every so often there is news of this great idea and for some reason they never happen. There was a water park that went out of Business so don't even get me started, how did that happen. I hope it works out and gets lots of people and stays open for years and gets other things in the falls so that NF USA is more like the Canada side, but different and still with that nice park.

After failing to make money by redeveloping the Wintergarden, Joseph Anderson is giving winter in Niagara Falls another try.

Anderson, the Tuscarora cigarette and gasoline magnate, is building a 49-foot snow tubing hill on Main Street in the Falls. Scheduled to open next month, it would operate year-round. The city's newest attraction also includes a regulation-sized synthetic skating rink that requires no refrigeration.

Both are designed to capitalize on the region's chilly reputation, serve warm-and cold-weather visitors and do something scores of developers and entrepreneurs have been unable to accomplish: keep tourists on this side of the border for more than a few hours.

"That's the first new attraction here in a while that is family oriented," said Steven Fleck, co-owner of the Howard Johnson Closest to the Falls, across the street from the snow park. "Of course, you've got the Maid of the Mist and the Cave of the Winds and all that, but once people see the falls, there's really not a whole lot to keep them down in this end of the city."

The snow park has been under construction on a vacant parcel two blocks from the Rainbow Bridge since late last year, after Anderson's teenage son came up with the idea to build a snow tubing hill on land Anderson already held in the Falls.

Anderson, the entrepreneur behind the Smokin Joe's gasoline and cigarette chain, as well as the failed Smokin Joe's Family Fun Center in the Wintergarden, hired Snow Magic, a New Jersey company, to help develop a snow-covered tubing hill.

The company has built similar hills in Saudi Arabia and Japan.

"The beauty is, we can always make the snow regardless of the temperature," said Al Bronander, president of Snow Magic.

Unlike traditional snow-making machines-which rely on at-or below-freezing temperatures to produce artificial snow - Snow Magic's units freeze water into thin sheets of ice inside the machines before pulverizing the ice and shooting it out as small flakes.

The result is tiny crystals of ice - about 0.3 millimeters in diameter-that are about three times the size of artificial snow typically made at ski resorts.

Bronander said the company's artificial snow can be groomed like other snow and can be used for snowboarding but is not as fine as snow that is used at ski resorts.

"As the sun heats it up and it warms it up, it becomes a little bit more granular, just like anywhere," Bronander said. "For snow tubing, snow play, it's fantastic."

The hill will operate in all but extremely hot weather - if temperatures peak at more than 100 degrees for several days - or in extremely heavy rain or thunderstorms, said Jennifer Pauly, marketing coordinator for Smokin Joe's Trading Post and Snow Park Niagara Falls.

The synthetic skating rink is made of a polymer material produced by Super-Glide of Clearwater, Fla. The rink includes penalty boxes and a scoreboard.

Snow Park Niagara Falls is scheduled to open to the public June 15. Tickets will be $30 for two hours on the tubing hill and unlimited access to the snow play area and rink.

The tubing hill - which has removable lanes for tubes - will host the Red Bull Buttercup snowboarding event July 9, Pauly said.

Fleck and other hotel owners hope the snow park will give visitors a reason to stay in Niagara Falls longer.

Three attractions - a tethered helium balloon ride, the Niagara Aerospace Museum and Anderson's Smokin Joe's Family Fun Center - all closed in downtown Niagara Falls before last year's tourist season. The snow park is the first new attraction to open since then.

Anderson has had mixed success in Niagara Falls development deals. He owns two hotels and controls more than 20 properties in the downtown commercial area. In 2005, he opened a children's playground and arcade in the former Wintergarden building but closed it three years later.

He recently sold the Wintergarden to the state, which plans to raze the structure to create a roadway between Niagara Falls State Park and the Seneca Niagara Casino.

A no-bid concession license Anderson struck with the city in 2004 for an outdoor pedestrian mall was largely considered a failure.

Anderson pleaded guilty in November to a federal charge of devising a scheme to deprive citizens of "the intangible right of the honest services of a public official" in connection with a series of loans totaling $40,000 to former Mayor Vince Anello. Anderson has yet to be sentenced.

Despite all of that, city officials and tourism leaders say they believe the snow park will be a success.

The project, which received a 10-year tax break through the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, was estimated to cost $5.2 million, according to information given to the agency.

Aside from the tax break, the project is privately funded by Anderson.

"We're just excited that there's anything going on, to tell you the truth," Fleck said. "And it's good to see someone with their own money coming in."

So last night I watched two episodes of this new Tattoo show, on A&E . Some of you who like reality shows, Tattoos, or maybe even have them may know that A&E had a show on Called Inked. Well that was about a Tattoo shop in the palms and that show was pretty good. One of the guys from that shop, Thomas is the star of this show. He has a bus and it has a Tattoo shop in it and he goes along and gives Tattoos. Not all of them are on the bus. So far I think it is a pretty good show. On the website they have some videos of stuff I haven't seen on the show yet. Here are some pictures that I found online.

First of all I need to post some pictures of Moe's for (e:ladycroft). I don't know if this is the same Moe's that you know about but hopefully these pictures might help.

If there is anyone who is reading this and didn't see my previous post you might want to check out those pictures as well.

Around the time of the Bisons game I took some pictures of Buffalo here are some of them, don't worry no baseball pictures.

Hey I had to include some Buster Bison shots.

So some time back I read some article about how the people who control elmwood, sorry forget what they are called. Decided they wanted to make some new rules about what can and can't be built and signs and stuff. That got me thinking about how many places on Elmwood use Canopies . Well a lot of places do. But for my little informal study I was wondering how many places used them as there sign. But before I could take Pictures I had to decide what "The strip" was. I decided that it was from forest to Allen. That being said there are two bonus pictures. We never close I decided to include because even though the sign is metal and attached it looks like a canopy. I also took a picture of Pano's since I don't have a picture of it all New. Besides that if Pano didn't let the house fall apart and then tear it down and protests erupted I don't know as Elmwood Village Asocation might not have voted on new places with signs. I thought the ruling was that no new places can have a canopy as there sign. You will see some great examples of how they are used and some bad examples and maybe some just bad pictures as well.

I do have two other photo projects I do want to do but the third one I don't know what the best way to go about it is or even If I can. I would like to take pictures of people walking dogs and doing other things. It is tough to catch the essence and unlike buildings people move. I'm wondering if maybe there is someplace to hang out or sit and get pictures. The Next photo project I want to do is taking pictures of Places that have regular signs. Yes some places like Neo and Town have more then one kind of sign for their name so would I repeat? Not sure. But this last one I just did wasn't really political I don't really have a side I'm on. Then again Pride is soon and I want to take pictures of the March and I have an interesting Idea that I hope works.

On Thursday Before the Bisons game I did take some Pictures of the AUD. So if you don't care about random Pictures of the AUD this would be a good time to leave.

I hope everyone Has or Had a great Holiday Weekend. Tough to believe it is back to work on Tuesday but for a lot of people they work today or have to work weekends, hey it is great to BBQ but if no one worked where would people buy all the stuff?

Glad you liked the pictures, and I hope everyone else liked them as well.

In terms of those things hanging down, I'm not sure what they are made of. Now in terms of what they are they are supposed to keep the sound from bouncing off the ceiling but not sure how well they worked.

tinypliny writes
at 07:34:57 05/25/09 - Comment #48688

Nice pictures. The summing up of the strip. :)

(e:heidi) and I meant to ask you (or (e:mrmike)): What are those clusters of wooden looking cylindrical things hanging off the roof of the auditorium that is being demolished? Would you happen to know about them?

So (e:Paul) just Put up a blog about the Holiday together. I think he did a good job talking about it. I don't know how to describe it other then it was a good time and it was nice to see (e:leetee) (lee) and (e:uncutsaniflush) (walt) it has been some time. Sorry I don't know enough about music to answer all your questions. That being said I did look at my pictures and one of the time differences between bands was about 14 minutes. I don't' know one was at the end and the next was at the beginning of the set but the change overs where pretty quick. (e:tinypliny) was fun as all ways (when she leaves her axe at home that is, HA). Of course it was nice to see (e:southernyanke) again. Well here are the pictures:

Two things I should ad before I forget.
1) No Photos where posed for they are candid shots
2) Backyards are often shady, I would have no idea how to take a picture with out shadows so hopefully they all look ok

Well I think that is all of them. I think (e:tinypliny) took a couple pictures in there, I think there are two pictures that face the wrong way that I forgot about. It was nice to see everyone who was there and it was a really nice time. I would like to thank (e:PMT) for having that and for their hospitality.

Well Saturday was a fun day. I started out by going to see the newest Terminator movie. My take on it is this If that is the type of movie you like you will really enjoy it like I did. I also saw a couple previews for some movies that look pretty good there is a Sherlock Holmes movie that looks great and a movie I think called 9 it is a Tim Burton movie.

After the movie I got off the Bus at Forest I started my Photo Project. Hey it was a nice day for a nice walk. Yes there where people out but not as many as I thought would be out. There was this really cute/sexy lady walking two dogs, not really a fan of dogs but her little killers looked cute. Plus there where some people out looking like they where sunbathing. Oh yeah my photo project is that I wanted to take pictures of places that use Awnings as there sign. Yes there are lots of places that have them but I only wanted ones that used them with information on them. It was a good time and hopefully after the holiday weekend some pictures will get posted.

From the end of "The Strip" I walked down to the Town Ballroom and waited in line to get tickets for As Summer Dies and Mushroomhead. It turned out to be a pretty good show. I had no idea there would be that many bands. There is no way to even remember them all and some of them I wouldn't be able to remember. But it was a great time. Well unless of course you are my camera trying to figure out the lighting. Oh yeah or unless you are my right ear that got smashed by sound from about 4pm to 1am.

So someone at work won Bison tickets and I'm going Thursday, they gave me the tickets they won. It looks like it might be a great day for a game. Well this is Buffalo so one can never be sure. It will be nice to sleep in. I can't stay in to late I want to get over to the AUD and get pictures during the day on a weekday. Most of my pictures are like when the sun is going down. It would be cool to get some pictures of people working on it also. When I went to opening day I ate at Moe's I think I might do that again not sure yet. If memory serves correctly they name the food after stuff from Seinfeld like one of them is close talker. Last time it was so good. My sis and Niece might be going to still not sure about that, I hope so. I wonder at 6 months can babies have Cotton Candy? Well I mean I know they can have it. All kinds of people give there kids all sorts of stuff at all types of ages. This is often extended to pets who they give people food to. When I was at the Biltmore in NC, I saw a lady share her ice cream with her dog. Not sure if she planned it or not but when you have a cone in one hand and the dog in the other there is no way of stopping it. Oh yeah my point was is pure sugar like that ok for a 6 month old? It may not even be a factor really. The bisons are doing pretty bad, but the fun part about Baseball isn't really the winning or losing at this level. I have another game to go to in June also, that is 2 days before Allen Town art festival, and then the next night I want to go to Purgatory Fetish Ball 2 at club Diablo. To bad the art festival doesn't start when Diablo closes that sure would make things easier. I really should look into how much a place downtown costs.

I did go to the game and they lost today but it was still a good time. I did get a couple of pictures of moe's. If you go to my post about opening day :::link::: Towards the bottom you will see there are a couple of pictures from the one at the Coca-Cola field.

metalpeter writes
at 11:23:54 05/21/09 - Comment #48552

I'm not sure if it is the same place or if it just has the same name. Some one at work told me there is a Moe's on Transit Road. I'm not sure where on transit road though. I assumed that Moe's being at the ball park was local but maybe it isn't I'm not sure really. Now I'm really getting hungry for it. I will try and get some pictures of it at the game and make sure that once the weekend is over I get some of them up here.

ladycroft writes
at 09:19:01 05/21/09 - Comment #48547

Wait, a Moe's opened in Buffalo!? As in the 'fast-casual Mexican' place? I love that place! I think they had a great burrito called the love affair or something...I also have a great Jim Morrison painting poster from one of their walls :)

So I just got back from seeing Angels and Demons. I thought it was pretty good, but won't give away anything. It seemed like there where a lot of assholes out today, including the guy who got out of line in front of me at the bank and filled out his thing then bumped me and said something. What I should have done is say, um no dude you got out of line to the back of the line. That is what the tables are for you fill the stuff out then get in line.

If any of you follow me on facebook you will notice that I put links up to news articles. I think you have to like click 3 times and it ads the link to your page. I don't know why but all this stuff with the Chosen Few is really interesting.

That being said. I think it is important for everyone who watches the news or reads it to remember something. The News is only one persons perspective. It is also important to know that profit is a big part of the news now. What I'm saying in a round about way is when you hear news don't just go oh ok. Think does that make sense and think about what you heard. I'm not saying that you should go look it up your self. But just remember that when something happens (more internationally then locally ) that perspectives of what happened will change how the story is told.

I find this very true with the Chosen Few articles. I feel like there is some stuff that doesn't make sense. There must be stuff that the news isn't telling us. I'm not going so far as to say they are with holding stuff maybe they just don't have all the information.

My first question is why are they and the Kingsmen rivals. The news says they are and says something about something at like a race of some kind. But it doesn't say what the Beef is.

One of the stories mentions that "The Law" met with the Chosen few and tried to stop the violence. At the very least to make sure if they went after The Kingsmen that no one else got hurt. That same story said that the Chosen Few where unable to stop the feud.
But they still don't say what the violence is about.

The part that I really don't get is if there is a supposed beef or even so called war, then why didn't they arrest any kingsmen. Maybe there is no reason to because maybe the left the feud in the past. But none of the articles say anything about it. Maybe some other agency is building a case on them. Maybe the kingsmen ended things and told the police that they them selves aren't a gang. I admit I have no clue. But unless I missed something nothing in the paper gives any answers to this. These articles leave the reader guessing.

I can admit that I know nothing about Bike Clubs. I would assume that once they start breaking laws they get called gangs. Just because someone puts on leather and likes to ride a big motorcycle doesn't mean they are in a club. I did see one documentary about some cop who got into I think the hells angels and it was pretty interesting. I remember being somewhere in Toronto maybe the skydome and they had a sign about not being allowed to wear your colors there. So I guess at least at one time it was a problem in Toronto I assume.

It would be nice if the news gave us readers all the information. I wonder if I'm the only one who read the articles and found them interesting but had questions. Sometimes I wonder if the news is turning something into a bigger then then it is to sell Papers. Other times I think they might not have all the info.

The Latest article on The Chosen Few

The local headquarters of the Chosen Few Motorcycle Club at 94 Main St., Depew, was bugged by the FBI.
Bill Wippert/Buffalo News

When police raided the home of the president of the Chosen Few motorcycle club last week, they found about $5,500 worth of equipment allegedly stolen from his employer, the state Thruway Authority.

A wide range of items - including floodlights, electrical wire, raincoats, light bulbs, emergency flashers, numerous pairs of leather gloves and more than 30 boxes of paper towels - were seized from the Alden home of Alex Koschtschuk.

Police are investigating to determine how he got them, a federal prosecutor said Thursday.

"The Thruway Authority has been made aware of this investigation," Assistant U. S. Attorney Anthony M. Bruce said during a detention hearing for Koschtschuk.

Bruce also revealed that a series of diagrams were found indicating that the Chosen Few might have been planning to attack the local clubhouses and some homes of the Kingsmen, their rival club.

The prosecutor said the diagrams of Kingsmen clubhouses and homes were found by state police in Koschtschuk's home.

And he told a judge that authorities suspect someone in local law enforcement - possibly a suburban police lieutenant - has been illegally giving the Chosen Few police mug shots of rival bikers.

Koschtschuk, 58, and another Thruway Authority worker- Alan "Deuce" Segool, identified by FBI agents as the Chosen Few vice president - were arrested May 7 with 18 other members of the biker club. They are accused of waging a violent war against the Kingsmen.

During Thursday's hearing, Bruce called Koschtschuk a "danger to the public." U. S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy ordered that Koschtschuk be jailed until his case comes to trial.

The ruling was a disappointment to Koschtschuk's wife, Tracy, and to his attorney, Herbert L. Greenman, who said the federal investigation turned up "a lot of talk" but little evidence that Koschtschuk ever actually harmed anyone.

Greenman described Koschtschuk as a solid family man and working man whose past record includes no convictions for crimes of violence.

"[Koschtschuk is] not a danger to any person or to the community," Greenman said.

Bruce disagreed, saying federal agents used hidden recording devices in the Chosen Few's clubhouse in Depew to get tapes of Koschtschuk ordering his club members to go after the Kingsmen with guns, fists, ax handles and bombs.

"[Koschtschuk] is the unquestioned leader of this organization," Bruce said.

Both Koschtschuk and Segool, 48, of West Falls, are employees of the Thruway Authority, according to state records obtained after a Freedom of Information request by The Buffalo News.

Koschtschuk is a general mechanic for the authority at an annual salary of $47,049. He was hired in August 1999 and is currently on leave without pay because of a work-related injury. He receives workers' compensation pay.

Records show that Segool is a Thruway maintenance worker who was hired by the state in July 2001. Because of his arrest, he is on unauthorized leave without pay.

Before working with the Thruway Authority, Segool worked for six years as a police officer with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority, said his attorney, Angelo Musitano.

Segool has never been convicted of a crime of violence, Musitano said, but McCarthy said he did not feel that he could risk releasing Segool on bail.

"I think he's one of the key players [in the Chosen Few]," the judge said, "and I can't be certain that he would not instruct others to use violence."

Not sure if I mentioned it but one of the articles they mentioned some one who knew some members (there is a term I heard called a friend of the club, not sure what it means, so that is why I didn't say it that way) who claims they aren't violent at all and that this was being blown up to more then it was.

Not that I Know any of the inner workings the brotherhood part I Kinda get. I think most people who have been in team sports get that same feeling. Saying that feeling of being one of "The Guys" and "Hanging Out With the Guys". Doesn't really describe it well.

theecarey writes
at 01:21:23 05/17/09 - Comment #48468

yeh, i dont know much about the inner workings of these 'gangs'- but the going ons sure give them a bad name. Rival gangs, violence, theft, property damage, etc.. yikes. I glanced at an article recently about those trying to hold to/increase the brotherhood aspect, and not the gang elements. The stuff my 'club involved' friends (as I mentioned somewhere) tell me go entirely over my head. My views tend to be judgmental, yet I try to support their enthusiasm, try to understand what they love about it. Feeling involved is one thing (and I dig that), but being part of a bigger picture that involves all those negatives is another. Hopefully it is becoming more of the exception and not the norm.

Well Mothers day was interesting we wound up going to the botanical gardens. Maybe it was just me but it seemed smaller since I went last, I think some of the rooms might not have been opened. There will also be some pictures from Buffalo also.

Thanks for all the nice comments. It was a nice time, I'm still not sure that I got to see everything. The waterfall wasn't going and it didn't seem as warm as I remember it being in the past.

libertad writes
at 10:28:09 05/10/09 - Comment #48309

I love that picture you are talking about tiny. Nice stuff peter.

news writes
at 06:02:46 05/10/09 - Comment #48306

I love the botanical gardens. Its is so nice in there, even when the weather is not so nice outside.

metalpeter writes
at 05:02:49 05/10/09 - Comment #48304

That is my Niece Maya, she is being held by my sister but you can't really see my sis in that picture. She is also holding her so she can put her hand in the water later on in the pictures and in another picture in the set someplace. I have more pictures of them that I didn't post. I have to admit I wish I had the Camera Skills of a few people on this site, But I'm happy with the pictures I got. Yes having better what I call photographic vision would still be pretty cool, it just isn't a talent I have. I tried on the outside pictures near my place (going to the bank and coming home from Star Trek). The other pictures of buffalo where through the window of a moving car, the highways didn't line up right to get any of the AUD. Hope everyone had a great weekend and for those that did something had a good mothers day.

So I went to see the new Star Trek Movie. I don't want to give anything away so I can't say to much. The one thing that did bother me a little bit was that I know one of the Main Characters as someone else from a TV show, it was hard to see him as Spock when you know him as this other guy who is nothing like him. Besides for that I found the movie was very good. I also want to mention the previews for The Transformers, GI Joe and the new Terminator movies all make them look amazing. I don't think they can be as good as the shows. It is a different media and so it can't be as good as animation can be.